This may come as a surprise to most people who don't live here, but young people here know that ambitious minds are in the process of building a new Des Moines, a tech hub in Silicon Prairie, an artistic center in the Heartland, a destination for people who want to create something meaningful outside of the limits imposed by an oversaturated city like Chicago or New York.

Andrew Kirpalani, a product manager for Bunchball, a gamification company explains that technology leveled the playing field with start-ups. Geography doesn't matter anymore.

Some of the things that attract entrepreneurs to Des Moines is that our cost of living is six percentage points below the national average, median salary is $51,200, job growth is 2.9 percent, there is one company with 500 or more employees for every 612 people, and millennials are pouring into Des Moines at a higher rate than they are nationally. Forbes even lists it as the best city for young professionals.